


Rounds

by fitzjosie



Series: fitzjosie’s Littleverse [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Fitzsimmons are siblings, Gen, Non-Sexual Age Play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-24 18:51:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20019334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fitzjosie/pseuds/fitzjosie
Summary: A lot can happen when Dr Starr goes on her daily rounds at the long term patients ward





	Rounds

**Author's Note:**

> I keep writing for this series even though I don’t think anyone is actually reading it, lol. Though I just write when I feel like it and this feels more self indulgent but it’s out there in case anyone does enjoy it.  
> Also Melinda and Daisy come into it next chapter. Some of that is already written.

Ava started on her rounds. She was to go down to the long term ward and check on Jemma, Leo and Hope. This involved getting then ready for the day, feeding them, dishing out medication and doing a general check up.

She stepped into Jemmas room first, unsurprised to see the girl reading from a science textbook. She was always an early riser as well, it was very rare that she came in to the girl being asleep.

"Good morning Jemma" she greeted, opening the curtains and checking the girls chart in case there had been any changes

"Morning Dr Starr" Jemma replied politely, putting her book back onto the nightstand.

"How are you feeling today?"

"I'm okay, my mind feels clear but my legs are a little more painful than usual" jemma said, she wouldnt often admit to being in increased pain but it lined up with being due her monthly shot of a strong long lasting pain relief that helped her legs.

"Good, thank you for telling me about your legs" Ava praised and smiled back at the warm smile she received.

"You are due your cortisol so that should help out. I've also brought your food and your other meds"

Ava lifted the food from the cart, Jemma was currently the only one of her three patients on standard food so at least she didnt get them mixed up.

She put the plate on the white table that moved over Jemmas bed, helping the girl to sit up first before moving the table over and letting her eat her breakfast.

"How have you been otherwise?"

"Yes I've been fine" Jemma said, though part of what was written in her daily log concerned Ava

"Jemma, it says here you've barely been out of your room for the past few days"

The girl stopped eating and sighed, looking down at her plate

"I just didnt feel up to it. The play centre is so loud and the lounge is as well. I'm quite happy here with my books"

Ava crouched down slightly by the side of the bed.

"Sweetheart, I know its difficult for you but it really will make your recovery easier if you're getting regular social interaction. If it's too loud then we could give you some noise cancelling headphones or earplugs, we're here to help and want you to be comfortable but its not good for you to sit by yourself every day" 

Ava saw tears in the girls eyes and gently encouraged her to lean over, pushing the table down towards the end of the bed for a moment as she hugged her.

"There we go sweetheart, it's ok"  
Ava consoled her as the girl cried on her shoulder, she could feel the girl drop in the process and maybe this would make it easier. It seemed that Jemma had been holding out on a drop for a while.

"Hi little one" she greeted, using a tissue from her pocket to wipe the girls face of her tears

"Ava!" Jemma smiled at her, which made her smile back

"Looking after me?" She asked

"Yes I'm here to check your poorly legs and do your medicine for you" Ava told her

"Would you like more breakfast or have you done?" She asked, the girl had eaten over half which was pretty good for Jemma. She was fully expecting the no that followed but it was okay. She moved the table out of the way and got set up.

"Is it time for needles?" Jemma asked and Ava nodded, gently stroking her hair.

"Yes, you've got an extra shot today as well but that will make your legs feel much better"

"They ache right now" Jemma nodded and Ava gave her a reassuring smile, setting up the first shot ready.

"Okay little one, can you lie flat on your back for me?" Ava asked, carefully taking the girls leg braces off when she did so to make it more comfortable.

"There we go, good girl" she praised her, getting the first shot ready. It was to prevent blood clots in long term patients and was administered into their belly.

Ava gently lifted jemmas pj top and injected the medicine into the middle of her belly.

"Okay that's one down now" Ava smiled, disposing of the used syringe and getting the next. Jemma opened her mouth automatically and Ava smiled, doing the next injection quickly.

"Well done, you've been such a good girl for me so far" She knew that the only problem with little Jemma around was that the cortisol was a big injection that could hurt quite a bit. However, the girl was generally a good patient and very brave, plus this wasnt the first time shed had it whilst she was dropped, they just tended to avoid it since it was generally more stressful for her little self to go through.

"Now sweetheart, I need you lying flat on your tummy"

Jemma did so as Ava prepped, she soon realised what it was.

"Is this the one in my back that can sting a lot?" Jemma asked and Ava confirmed.

"Yea sweetheart, but you're doing so well and it will be over before you know it"

Jemma was clearly doing her very best to be brave, Ava gave her a moment to calm down and gently stroked her arm, wiping the area with an antiseptic wipe first. It also helped to let Jemma know where to expect the sting.

"Okay sweetheart, are we ready?"

Once Jemma gave the signal, she injected the syringe into the spot on her lower back. Unfortunately, this took a few seconds longer before she could retract it and she had to do it twice as well.

Jemma screamed loudly the second time, her first banging on the bed in agony as Ava retracted the second needle and disposed of it. She did her best to comfort the girl, helping her turn over and pulling her into another hug.

"There we go, all done. You're such a brave girl, I'm so proud of you and I know mommy will be proud of you too"

Ava gently rubbed Jemmas upper back, eventually the girl calmed down but still clung to her. She was debating how long to leave it before she needed to get Jemmas leg braces back on when she heard awful noises from the room just across the way. Oh God, that was Leo.  
Trust today to be the first in a while that he had woken up before she got there, and hearing Jemmas scream must have upset him, especially with him currently unable to get out of his bed unaided. 

Ava made a split second decision, she had to get to him but wasnt sure if bringing Jemma would help or hinder. The little one was snoozing calmly against her chest. She was a little worried of him throwing things in case he hurt Jemma, so she quietly whispered to the girl about being with her mommy.  
The woman seemed to be debating going to Leo herself but Ava called her over. After a quick discussion, it was decided that Izzy would take Jemma and put the girls braces back on then take her for a little wander whilst Ava went to see to Leo.

With that sorted and a quick goodbye to Jemma, Ava rushed into Leo's room, her attention immediately on the boy on the bed. She had been keeping an eye on him best she could to make sure this was a meltdown but she was sure. She carefully approached him, knowing at these moments it could be volatile and the screaming might have triggered an old memory so he could be having flashbacks.

"Leo...hey, Leo. Can you hear me?" She held out her hands, waiting to see if he would press his to the left one for "yes".

She let out a breath she didnt even realise she was holding in relief when Leo pressed his hand to her left. At least it wasnt a flashback, they were extremely hard and traumatising for the boy and had a longer recovery time.

"Thank you, Leo. Can I ask you a couple more questions, just so I know how to help?"

He pressed his hand to her left again, his other reaching for something on the floor. She realised it was his weighted blanket that he was reaching for and picked it up, checking to make sure before spreading the blanket over him.

"Well done for reaching for your blanket when you needed it. I'm proud of you" she praised him, they had been teaching him that it was okay to need help and to use positive coping methods to soothe himself when he was upset or angry. Of course, their abusive father hadnt much cared about his children's wellbeing or mental health.   
It was a surprise that Leo even had the autism diagnosis, though it had possibly been pushed through mostly by his school when he was younger. Jemma was suspected autistic and was going slowly through the diagnostic process, though her physical health had to be main priority just for the moment at least they could start with teaching her coping methods and understand if she reacted in certain ways. Jemma would keep her emotions bottled up inside her until she eventually burst, a habit they were trying to slowly bring her out of.

"Okay, a couple of questions" she held up her hands clearly for him, left was yes and right meant no.

"Did you hear some screaming?"  
Left.

"Did that wake you up?"  
Right.

"Did it frighten you?"  
Left.

He then signed "Jemma", turning it into a question. Ava knew what he was asking.

"It was Jemma, but shes okay. She had her cortisol injection, the one that can hurt a lot but it does help her legs to work properly.  
She dropped just before her medicines so little Jemma was more scared than normal"

Leo seemed worried at the confirmation but a little calmer once she had explained. He shakily signed "tablet" and Ava detached his tablet from his wheelchair in the corner, putting it in the tough rubber case just whilst he was calming from a meltdown as sometimes it made him get frustrated quicker if he couldnt form the right words to get his point across and he had been known to throw the tablet before now when using it freely.  
The tougher case did also make it easier for him to hold it.

"Is jemma okay now? I would like to see her" the tablet spoke for him and he looked up at Ava.

"She is okay, your mommy took her for a little walk around the ward but I'll ask her to meet us back here"

Ava paged the woman in question who said they would be a few minutes as Jemma had wanted to sit in the garden. She couldnt help the proud smile at that, saying it was ok and hoping this left time to get Leo changed and fed and medicined before they got here, if he wasnt feeling too impatient.

"Jemma?" The tablet asked once Ava had finished texting.

"She'll be here in a few minutes bud. Can we get your breakfast and get you dressed before she gets here?"

He looked at the food with a foul look, turning his head away from the small bowl that Ava was holding. He could only eat certain soft foods right now due to an issue with swallowing caused by his brain damage, plus he needed to be fed by someone as he was currently unable to feed himself. They just hoped this issue at least was only temporary but generally she found that after a meltdown he didn’t like eating.

“C’mon bud, think you can do a couple bites for me? I made sure it’s your favorite, and then we can get you dressed ready to go play with Jemma”

Ava perched on the side of his bed, holding the bowl. He eventually relented and let her spoon exactly two bites of cereal into his mouth before clamping it shut.

“There. I had two bites” the tablet spoke for him after Ava reached over with a third spoonful.   
She decided not to pressure him, after all she had said two bites and Leo would take anything like that very literally so to him, he had done what she asked.

They managed to fairly quickly get him dressed and lying back on the bed. He kept gesturing towards his wheelchair, wanting to get into it.

“Not so fast monkey, we still have to do your medicine”

He groaned and tried to hide his face with a pillow, grumpily signing “go away” at Ava when she removed the pillow. He even managed to shout “go!” at her when the siblings mom walked in with Jemma in tow.

“Was that my favourite boys voice I hear?” Izzy asked, looking to the bed.

“Go!” Leo repeated grumpily, but him speaking was actually a good thing. Of course, they didn’t want him to be angry but it seemed one of the only times he would talk at the moment. His therapist said that he talked more with her and he would occasionally say some other words but it seemed that he would only speak by choice around the staff when he was angry, preferring to sign or talk through his tablet.

“Me? go? But you’d miss out on all the fun” Izzy told him, letting Jemma come into his line of sight from her place on Izzy’s hip

“Leo!” Jemma exclaimed happily, clapping her hands and trying to reach out for him, Izzy had to rebalance them so she wouldn’t topple over.

“Okay, nice and gentle baby girl” she considered it a moment but thought it might help and Leo no longer seemed physically angry so she perched Jemma on the edge of his bed. The little one immediately reached out to hug her brother, and sometimes this wouldn’t go well if he wasn’t little himself and/or was in a bad mood. However, this time it worked and Leo let her cuddle up to him, even stroking her back.

“Jemma is safe. I am happy” his tablet spoke and Izzy smiled at him. She took the medicine from Ava who was going off to see her own little, Hope.

“Now then my big boy” she patted his head of curls gently, knowing it was a kind of affection that he liked whether big or small. Right now it felt he was on the edge, wanting to be a big brother to Jemma but also longing for some little boy affection.

“Can we do this medicine and then we can go play?” Izzy asked him. He looked unsure and Jemma’s tiny face turned to look at him.

“I had my big scary shot today! And I’m okay! It only hurt a little bit...”. ok that last part was a lie but she wanted to reassure her big brother that it was okay.

“I had my shot in my tummy and my mouth! And Dr Ava said I did real good”

Leo’s desire for both his mommy and little sister (even when little himself, she was a younger age than him) to be proud of him eventually won out over his nerves and he nodded, letting mommy set up his meds.

“Okay baby girl, you’ll have to move a moment” Izzy told Jemma, the little girl frowned but held out her arms

“Sorry Jem, mommy is working with sharp pointy things that could hurt you so I just wont be able hold you. Can you stand up yourself for me?”

Jemma stood up but didn’t want to stay standing, taking a few wobbly steps.

“Jemma, sit in my wheelchair until I need it” the tablet spoke on behalf of Leo. Jemma nodded and pulled herself up onto it. 

“That was a good idea, well done bud” Izzy praised him, lifting his shirt to do the first injection into his tummy. 

Leo had an extra medicine before his mouth shot. He got incredibly anxious about anyone touching his mouth or anything dental. They thought it was partially down to how close a dentist had to stand and how you essentially couldn’t do anything else with your mouth open, plus some bad past experiences. To make the mouth shot possible, and help with his general anxiety, she first gave him some anti anxiety medicine injected into his upper arm. He also had a poster of a globe on his ceiling to focus on and they had worked out a system.

“Ok Leo, open your mouth and try to find Burkina Fasso” Izzy would give him a random country or sometimes two to find on his map whilst she did the shot to take his mind off it. The system worked and he found it just after the shot.

“Well done” Izzy praised him, still she could feel he was on the edge of a drop. She leaned in a little closer to him.

“It’s okay to drop, honey. You and Jemma haven’t had a drop together in a long time, she’s been holding on too long. I’m here and I won’t leave, I promise I’ll look after her. You can just focus on having a nice time with your sister and your friends”

Izzy sat on the edge of his bed, holding him close as she felt him drop. Jemma seemed to realise what was happening and vacated his wheelchair, bringing it close and fixing his tablet back onto it for their trip to the play centre.

“Theres my beautiful baby boy” Izzy greeted him as soon as it was clear Leo had dropped “And look at this, your sister has your chair all set up and ready. She’s so smart isn’t she?”

Leo made an appreciative noise, he would still rarely speak even when dropped though he was more vocal in terms of noises and ticks and vocal stimming.

Izzy got him settled in his wheelchair, doing up the lap buckle and making sure his tablet was set up ready. Then she kissed his forehead with a smile before leaning to pick up Jemma, kissing hers too.

“There we go, my babies all ready for the day” she loved on them a little longer, Leo wiped the second kiss off his cheek but she knew he was just teasing.


End file.
